Justin Wilson

Even when you’re not thinking about driving the race car every second of every day, you’re thinking about how to make the racing better. There is a lot more that goes into it than just driving the car.

UK-born race car driver Justin Wilson has raced in the F1, Champ and now the IndyCar circuits, consistently placing in the top tier. This life in the fast lane takes a lot of focus and preparation — including finding the right tools to keep your goals in sight and your mind on the road. AskMen talked to the driver about the hacks he uses to keep it all together, including the apps he relies on to stay organized and in touch while keeping a travel-heavy schedule.

AskMen (AM): How do you get into the mindset for a race?

Justin Wilson (JW): It helps to go back and read your notes. I try to remember what it was I was talking about and try to remember those feelings and driving a lap in your mind and what it was like. Typically you finish up with the engineers about 45 minutes or a half-hour before the (on-track) session, and they take the car out and that’s when you start to think, "OK, how am I going to drive the car? What am I going to do different? What am I looking for to get more out of myself and the car?"

AM: How do you stay focused and prepared between races?

JW: It’s very different. You go away from the race and you kind of switch off in some respects, and you do your training and catch up on everything else that you’ve put off for the last four or five days. And then, just when you’ve got caught up, you’re heading back out on a plane. You switch between those two different modes when you get on the plane and when you get off the plane. In some ways it’s like two totally separate lives.

AM: With so much travel, is it difficult to strike a balance between work and family life?

JW: There are times when you definitely want to be thinking about work and how to make the race car faster and what’s holding you back as a driver. And as my wife calls it, I’m in ‘race mode’ — you’re thinking about that all the time. Sometimes you don’t switch it off. It’s just eating away at you the whole time while you’re at home and you can’t relax. I think, "What do I need to do to make the car turn?" or whatever it is that’s on your mind. So that kind of takes away from your family time. It’s tough. Of course my family is understanding.

When you have a situation like this, you have to think about work, but at the same time you want to spend as much time with your family as you can because you’re traveling so much. It’s a difficult balance. When you are at home you have to train every day. There are phone calls every day, so even when you’re not thinking about driving the race car every second of every day, you’re thinking about how to make the racing better. There is a lot more that goes into it than just driving the car.

Apps To Manage The Madness

Evernote: This app helps me prepare and organize for my races. I record racing techniques, keep notes on setups that work/didn't work per race, keep lists, schedules and talking points for appearances.

Google Chrome: I use this for search and then it syncs across all my devices.

WahooFitness: This is my training app. I use it to log my bike rides, cadence speed and heart rate.